Trailer coupling



March 27., 1934. w H REDNOUR 1,952,565

TRAILER COUPLING Filed Dec. 19, 1929 @l i @l f 1 l, Y"

Gttornegf Patented Mar. 27, 1934 STA rss PATENT oFFlcE e This invention relates to car couplings and more particularly to couplings for small cars such as used in connection with the repair and maintenance of railroad tracks and the like.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of an automatically releasable' coupling which will serve to prevent the derailing of a plurality of cars in the event that one of them should leave Athe track.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a simple and inexpensive coupling having the foregoing attribute, and yet which is readilyY operable to connect or disconnect cars under ordinary circumstances and is not liable to become inadvertently disconnected during normal operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the novel coupling shown as connecting a car and trailer.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the coupling; and

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing the manner in which the members forming the coupling may be engaged.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, the numeral 1 indicates the front portion of a small railway car such as used by maintenance of way men on railroads, dump cars or the like, while the numeral 2 indicates the rear end of a similar car or a motor car which may be used in hauling the cars from place to place.

Mounted on the endsof the car 1 is a yoke 3 provided with a vertical opening 4 adapted to receive a rod 5 forming a part of the coupling. This rod is provided with two substantially right angular bends 6 and '7 adapted to provide horizontal portions 8 and 9 and a vertical portion 10, which latter is intended to be received in the vertical opening 4 in the yoke 3. The Vertical portion 10 is preferably provided with a shoul- Vder 11 to limit the downward movement thereof through the opening 4 as well as to form a bearing for the rod during operation. By this construction it will be readily understood that by first placing the rod 5 in a substantially Vertical position the end 9 may be passed through the opening 4 in the yoke 3, and the rod then swung to substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure 2, thereby locking the rod in position against inadvertent removal by reason of the portion 9 thereof engaging the underside of the yoke 3.

Formed on the forward end of the rod 5 is a head12 provided with a stop ange 13 on its up'- per end. This head, as will be clearly seen from an inspection of Figure 3, is rounded to provide a substantially cylindrical formation and to permit its automatic engagement with the 'jaws forming a part of the coupling member and about to be described. j y

Secured to the rear end of the .motor car 2is a at bar or plate provided with van annular shoulder 21 for abutting against the front end of the car and with a threaded bolt portion 22, which extendsthrough the end frame of the car and is secured therein by a washer'23 and nut 24. This rod 20 extends a substantial distance rearwardly of the car 2 and terminates in a substantially semi-circular jaw 25 rounded on its inner face as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

Mounted to one side of the bar 20 is a plate 26 provided with an inturned portion 27 on one end which bears against the bar 20 and forms in effect a pivot bearing for the plate 26. A shoulder 2l formed on the bar 20 provides an additional bearing surface for the inner end of the plate 26. The opposite end of the plate is provided with a substantially semi-circular jaw 28 formed with a rounded inner surface complementary to the inner surface of the jaw 25 and providing a socket member for receiving the head 12. This plate is normally held in parallel relationship with the rod 20 by means of a coil spring 29 which bears against the outer wall of the plate. This spring is mounted on a bolt 30 provided with a head 31 and which extends through aligned openings in the rod 20 and plate 26. A nut 32 is threaded to the opposite end of the bolt 30 and forms an abutment for the adjacent end of the spring 29. Obviously by suitable adjustment of the nut 32 the compression on the spring 29 may be adequately varied to determine the amount of lateral pressure necessary to separate the jaws 25 and23 a suflicient distance to permit the release of the head 12 therefrom.

The two members of the coupling, that is, the head 12 and the jaws 25-28, forming the socket member, are preferably though not necessarily brought together by backing the motor car 2 toward its trailer 1, and in order to facilitate the movement of the head into the space formed in the socket member, out-turned flanges 25 and 23' are formed on the jaws, although it will be understood that these flanges are not essentialto the proper operation of the device.

In the operation of the device the rod 5 is applied to the trailer by first inserting the end 9 in the opening 4 of the yoke 3. The rod is then pushed downwardly as far as possible and then swung into horizontal position as indicated in Figure 2 with its shoulder 11 bearing on the upper face of the yoke. The rod is thus locked against inadvertent removal and the trailer is ready to be coupled to the motor car or other traction device. In coupling the cars the same may be brought together with suii'icient force to cause the rounded head 12 to press the jaw 28 outwardly against the pressure of spring 29 thus allowing the head to seat itself in the socket member 25--28. If desired, however, the head 12 may be raised upwardly by rocking the bar 5 upwardly about its pivot on yoke 3, and then pressed downwardly into the socket lmember when brought into alignment therewith. The reverse of this movement may be employed for uncoupling the cars.

The compression on the spring 29 should be suicient to prevent a, horizontal withdrawal of the head through the jaws 25-28 under normal operation, and this compression may be varied to suit circumstances by a suitable adjustment of nut 24. Should an undue strain be placed upon the coupling as by a derailment of either of the cars, the coupling will be automatically released, thus reducing damages to a minimum as well as reducing liability of injury to Workmen, etc.

From the above description taken in connection with the attached drawing it will be seen that I have devised a very simplified car coupling including an automatic releasing means as an element of safety and economy; that the mechanism is strong and durable in operation, and is so designed as to avoid disorganization of the parts either by loss or otherwise.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the preferred form of the invention, but inasmuch as various minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is intended that all such changes and modications be included within the scope of the appended claim.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A car coupling including a rod, an integral rounded head formed on one end of the rod, means for securing the opposite end of the rod to a car, a at bar having one end terminating in a reversely curved, semi-circular jaw, a plate having one end also terminating in a reversely curved, Substantially semi-circular jaw complementary to said first-mentioned jaw, the opposite end of said plate provided With an inturned portion to engage the side of said bar, a shoulder formed on the bar and providing an additional bearing for the inturned end of said plate, a bolt passing through said bar and plate, and constituting the sole support for the latter, and a spring on said bolt for normally holding said jaws in operative position to releasably engage said head.

WILLIAM H. REDNOUR. 

